1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle body roof construction, and more particularly to an improved edge structure adjacent associated closure members of the vehicle body and also to an improved pillar structure that supports a roof panel of the roof adjacent the juncture between a side edge portion thereof and a front or rear edge portion thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle body roof constructions incorporate roof panels whose edge portions must be strengthened to provide the roof with the required structural integrity. The roof panel edge portions define the upper extremity of side door and rear tailgate openings in conventional vehicle body constructions. Usually, an upper side door window frame will move under the adjacent roof panel side edge portion upon movement of the associated door to its closed position. An exposed rain gutter is ordinarily secured to the side roof panel edge portion in conventional roof constructions; however, there are roof constructions wherein a concealed side rain gutter is incorporated.
At their edge portions, many conventional roof panels include inwardly and outwardly extending flanges that prevent the roof panels from being stamped by a straight draw process. The orientation of these flanges requires the stamping equipment for fabricating the roof panels to have side dies that are actuated to stamp the edge flanges.
At their side edges, vehicle body roof panels conventionally are supported by a roof rail construction to give the roof panel its required strength. The side rail conventionally includes an inner member and an outer member that may be referred to as a roof rail inner and a roof rail outer. At its longitudinal front edge, a conventional roof panel includes a windshield header that is composed of inner and outer members which may be referred to as a windshield header inner and a windshield header outer. Likewise, the longitudinal rear edge of a vehicle body roof panel for a station wagon is supported by a tailgate opening header that includes inner and outer members which may be referred to as a tailgate header inner and a tailgate header outer.
The juncture between front and side edge portions of a vehicle body roof panel is conventionally supported by a windshield pillar. Likewise, the juncture between side and rear edge portions of a station wagon roof panel is also supported by a pillar. Vehicle roof panel pillars conventionally include inner and outer members that may be referred to as a pillar inner or a pillar outer. Such pillars interconnect the adjacent side rail and windshield or tailgate header to give the roof panel structural integrity about its total periphery. To provide this interconnection, the pillar inner member usually incorporates access holes utilized to permit welding that secures the pillar members to the roof panel.
The following U.S. patents disclose prior art vehicle body roof constructions: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,826,447; 2,937,047; 2,941,838; 2,989,338; 2,994,555; 3,198,572; 3,294,436; 3,526,426; and 3,714,751.